


Red

by loracarol



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Assisted Suicide, Community: rotg_kink, Companion Piece, Gen, Self-Harm, Suicide, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-26 13:44:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/651111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loracarol/pseuds/loracarol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Companion piece to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/637738">Brother Frost</a> by nekokoban, reading that first is essential to understanding this fic. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the mythology established in [Brother Frost](http://archiveofourown.org/works/637738), which was written as a response to [this prompt](http://rotg-kink.dreamwidth.org/2200.html?thread=2056600#cmt2056600) on the RoTG Kink Meme: 
> 
> _"The story idea: Pre-movie Jack actually does have believers. It's just that they don't believe in Jack Frost._
> 
> _A children's folk religion somehow ended up incorporating Jack Frost into their mythology. Only, being a religion of unsafe and frightened children, it's not really his 'fun' side they were interested in._
> 
> _Jack Frost becomes Jack, saint of suicides, the guardian of those that kill themselves, the promise of a painless end if it gets to be too much. And gradually, due to the nature of religion and legends, he's attributed with other aspects: If you leave Jack oranges he'll make it snow when you ask, say Jack's name three times at midnight and he'll hear whatever you say next, Jack can make people overlook you if you're in danger, Jack will kiss the breath from your lungs if you go out in a snow storm and say you want to die...._
> 
> _The number of children who believe in the saint is small, but they believe very fervently. Jack doesn't exactly enjoy that identity, but he's very protective of the saint's believers."_
> 
> (Complete prompt at link, along with the other fills for said prompt.)

_Jack had been on his way to North’s when he felt the call echo in his core, and he spins away, cursing under his breath._  
  
At least… At least North will understand  **why**  he’s late, if it had been any other others; he’s not sure what he would do.   
  
Changes occur on his flight to the Believer, but he pays them no heed, he never has, he doesn’t even realize that there  **is**  a difference, though those who see him notice.  
  
\---  
  
The boy is laying in the bathtub, stripped down to just his jeans. He holds an knife in his hand, blade just barely kissing the flesh on his other arm. Tiny scars line the arm, and he holds the knife poised to make more, to make cuts that run deeper then the surface, to make the blood flow, and to end things.   
  
That is why he calls for Brother Frost, after all.   
  
Brother Frost slipped into the bathroom as he was called, kneeling at the side of the tub, to see eye to eye with his Believer.   
  
“Brother Frost, you came.” The boy whispers. Tears line his eyes, and he holds the razor unsteadily.   
  
“I came.” Brother Frost agrees, because that’s what the boy needs to hear; that someone cares enough about him to comfort him, even at the end.   
  
“I’m scared… Scared of the pain” the boy admits. Brother Frost says nothing, nothing about the cuts lining the boys arm, about the fact that the boy had been dealing with pain for far longer than this moment, for in his heart he knows that the boy has a right to be terrified of what is to come; all his previous cuts were shallow things, more like a papercut then anything else, but he is poised to cut deeper, and fear grips him .   
  
“I can help you with that” Brother Frost says, as he picks up the boy’s hand at the wrist.  
  
He leaves a kiss there, one small kiss, taking pain and feeling away from the boy, who smiles at him gratefully before slicing the skin of his arm with the knife he holds.   
  
“You’ll stay with me?” He asks, even as he bleeds out.   
  
“Promise” Brother Frost says, ignoring the blood that is spattering his hands, and clothing. He sits in vigil over the boy until his breath ceases, and the stillness of death overtakes him.   
  
\---  
  
 _Jack Frost flies to the pole, red all he can see as he begs the wind to push him faster to North’s workshop. He needs to be with someone_ **living** , someone who won’t judge him, and he needs to apologize to North for being late.   
  
He crashes on the doorstep of North’s workshop, and he collapses there, trying to catch his breath, and scrub the blood off of his hands.  
  
One of the yetis opens the door, and calls for North, who recognizes the end tail of Brother Frost’s existence.   
  
Jack keeps his eyes squeezed shut, even as North pulls off his jacket to be cleaned. He tries to open his eyes once, but the red expanse of North’s clothing reminds him of the blood he watched flow, and he almost vomits.   
  
There’s just too much red…

**Author's Note:**

> Admittedly, I originally wasn't going to post this here, but people asked for a continuation, and I figured this might be an easier way to do so. :) 
> 
> This doesn't mean I'm going to give up "Where the Heart is", though! I'm hoping to have a new chapter of that out by Friday if not before. :)


End file.
